Recent Laws that Affects the Children Adoption Process In Texas

It is the right of every child to receive parental love. Some children are unable to get it due to neglect by their families. As a result, these children end up facing mental torture caused by the challenging situations they encounter.

Eligibility of the Foster Parents

There are laws that allow parents to adopt these children. However, a controversy has emerged regarding the eligibility of the foster parents. In 2015, a federal judge in Texas ruled that the Texas Department of Child Protective Services had violated the constitutional rights of the children by exposing them to unreasonable risk www.atlantic.com/news . The judge argued that the parents to adopt the child must be of undisputed character.

Freedom to Serve Children Act, 2017

The judgment stirred a lot of debate that found its way into the Texas House of Representative. A bill (Freedom to Serve Children Act) was tabled in the house which empowered the government-funded foster care and adoption agencies to deny adoption rights to parents with questionable religious backgrounds www.pbs.org . This includes the transgender, same-sex couples and atheists.

Matters Arising from the Bill

The questions of whether the bill will ease the burden of placements of the foster children rages on. Critics argue that the bill will complicate issues for foster parents leading to reduced placements. There are currently more than 250,000 children waiting for placement in Texas. While it’s true that the children need the care and love of a family, it is paramount to ensure their safety.

The bill was passed to ensure that the children’s religious beliefs are not compromised by the new family. It is not worth to have a child adopt behaviors that are against their upbringing beliefs just so that they get parental love. Some of the children are relatively young. If adopted by a family with questionable characters, it is likely that the child will adopt the behaviors of the foster parents as they grow.

The children’s interests should be considered during the adoption process. The passage of the bill in Texas is a step in the right direction. It guarantees the children’s safety and comfort during their stay with the foster families.